Thursday, June 18, 2009

Asparagus and Spinach Hot Pasta Toss

Sometimes it's the last minute meals, pulled together from whispy memories of recipes, that turn out the greatest. Perhaps it's because the expectation is so low, we're delighted at any measure of success?

At any rate, this is the first meal in a long time that had Wonder Daddy and I fighting over the last bites (he won...but I got to scrape the pan.)

Ahem.

This is best served hot, straight from the stove. I had some greens left over from last week's CSA box that needed using-- asparagus and spinach-- but I imagine that many vegetables would be just as lovely, but these worked especially well because of their basically unassertive flavors.

Asparagus and Spinach Hot Pasta Toss

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

a few pinches Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

1 bunch asparagus, chopped to 1-inch pieces

1 bunch spinach, chopped to 1-inch pieces

1/2 lemon

1 pound cold pasta

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes- saute until fragrant. Throw in the asparagus, and the zest and juice of the half lemon- the juice should really sizzle in the pan. When the asparagus is just crunchier than you'd like it to be, add in the spinach, and then the noodles to heat. Glug in a little more olive oil, to nicely coat the noodles.

Top with generous handfuls of shredded Parmesan cheese, and let sit for a few moments until cheese is nicely melted- you could speed this along by throwing the lid on.